Auburn in the NFL: Tiger-on-Tiger violence gives NFL Week 1 a Titans-Broncos highlight

Bo Nix and Roger McCreary were Auburn Tigers teammates from 2019-2021, before the former took to the Transfer Portal and transformed himself into a first-round NFL draft pick in his two years with the Oregon Ducks. McCreary was a 3-star out of Mobile, while Nix was a Birmingham-area 5-star, and his last year on the Plains was also the 2021 season. He was taken with the No. 35 pick in the 2022 draft.

On Sunday, during the Denver Broncos' Week 1 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, McCreary intercepted a Nix pass that was intended for Courtland Sutton. Nix threw the ball while running to his left, sending an across-the-body bomb 30 yards through the air.

It almost went to Sutton, but McCreary made a leaping grab, ripping it from his hands.

Bo Nix confident in familiar Broncos offense

Nix spoke glowingly of Sean Payton's offensive system in Denver, which is the first in his college football/NFL career that will feature the same primary play-caller for a second consecutive campaign.

"It's amazing. I almost don't really know what it's like," Nix said of staying in the same offense while speaking to Sports Illustrated on behalf of Mizzen + Main. "It's nice to hear the same thing, doing the same thing on the field, just same mechanics, everything being the same is just a lot more comfortable. And I'm not really out there thinking as much. I can kind of just react and play, which is really good. It'll speed up the learning for the season, I feel like. So now I can just start faster."

Nix not only had the McCreary pick, but he fumbled two drives later.

Nix has elevated expectations in his second season after willing the Broncos to their first postseason appearance since the 2015/2016 season.